Hi, I'm looking for a good used MRC CONTROL MASTER 20 WITH WALK AROUND CAB ( DC ), my old one took a *** on me.... Was ten years old
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rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Brian,
You'll need to check whether the controller is with the old style (pack had a fan in it) or new style (no fan in the black box) CM20. The controllers look the same, but are incompatable with the power pack of the other. Just trying to save you some aggravation in case you're trying to match new with old and to ensuire you get a matched set.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Train shows. I just saw one on ebay starting at $99.00.
You might Google it.
Rich
Not to be a scrooge, but generally buying, selling, advertising personal items, and so forth normally gets your post deleted.
Are You sure it's the unit and not the hand held?
Keep Your eye on E-bay, they show up once and awhile. Bought the newer version there 6-months ago...brand new. 20% cheaper than new.
Hand held for older version selling now, cheaper than MSRP:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MRC-AT444-Handheld-Remote-for-older-85VA-Controlmaster-20-W-Fan-/261723231154?
Take Care!
BTW: Use three MRC 20'S on my DC layout, never had any problem's with them, going on 20yrs. For 3-cab control.
Frank
Thank all for the help all, I lve had it for 14 years, last fall I got a new handheld for it, the fan quit working on it. And been having other issues with the power supply. . .
My experience was like Frank's, in general. I did have one failure and that was the relay that controls direction in the black box failed. A quick trip back to MRC and it was good to go.
You might check with MRC, as it's possible they still can repair it, even if the CM20 is out of production.
mlehman My experience was like Frank's, in general. I did have one failure and that was the relay that controls direction in the black box failed. A quick trip back to MRC and it was good to go. You might check with MRC, as it's possible they still can repair it, even if the CM20 is out of production.
Actually, they may able to fix that. I do know that the old-style CM20 controllers were discontinued stock/not available when I sent it for repairs a few years back.
There's really not all that much inside one of those hand helds, Linear 1k pot, electrolytic cap, couple risistors, diodes. No values on any of them, but shouldn't really be that hard to figure out. I had one go bad and took a look inside, but had a new spare, so I used it and never got back to messing with the bad one.
To the OP, I would still contact MRC and see if they can repair it, would not hurt to ask. The newer version has no fan because they changed the heat sinking feature and better power tab output regulators that were causing the older ones to run hot, hince the fan, but they learned it was still getting hot. The thing about the hand helds....I really never got a straight answer about them either...some say they are not interchangeable, but they have the same part number and same four wires in the plugs. I got mine when they first came out, the one's without the fan, so what is that 25+yrs and never had a problem, I would say that was pretty good for people who rap MRC, their decoders are'nt that great. Btw, I only use it to control the cabs, the volt meter and amp meter, don't use any of the other outputs. have separate power transformers for accessories.
Good Luck on whatever You choose.
EDIT: It is also quite possible that the internal circuit breaker won't reset anymore and that is preventing it from getting power. I have had that happen on older MRC power packs, that You had to manually reset them youself on the front panel, the Golden Series.
zstripeThe newer version has no fan because they changed the heat sinking feature and better power tab output regulators that were causing the older ones to run hot, hince the fan, but they learned it was still getting hot. The thing about the hand helds....I really never got a straight answer about them either...some say they are not interchangeable, but they have the same part number and same four wires in the plugs. I got mine when they first came out, the one's without the fan, so what is that 25+yrs and never had a problem,
Frank,
Just to clarify...You're saying there were THREE versions of the CM20? No fan, fan, and then no fan again?
My first two CM20s were fan versions purchased around 1990. I then purchased a no fan version around 2002 for a spare, because the original (maybe 2nd gen?) ones were no longer available. That's when I found the controllers were incompatible. And IIRC it was obvious, as in you had a runaway with no control if you tried the newer no-fan one with the earlier fan version or it was vice versa? Anyway, it didn't work for me. Same part #, which as a parts guy I can tell you is really dumb, because they're clearly not.
But also IIRC, I think the new(last?) would allow you a longer control run from the black box to the controlers, longer than the original 40' limit but I don't know how much more. The instructions still said 40' feet, but me install was already complete so din't help me. I believe I read about this is some forum.
Mike,
I should have clarified my statement.....There were three, but, only two sold to the consumer. I used to deliver electronic parts to MRC in Edison, NJ IN 1985 and had a lot of discussions with a couple of their engineers and got to know them well. Somewhere in my house, I have a schematic of the CM 20, that one of the guy's gave me, but I'll be darned if I can find it. One of those experiences, where You know You have something and You will always remember where You put it......ya, right. Like everything else lately, it will turn up, when I don't need it.
So this proto-CM20 was basically a test model. OK, makes sense. I just didn't want to be steering people wrong.